# How do you use the little round puck that comes with humidors?



## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

I received one of those cheap $20/20ct. humidors today and I'm not entirely sure how to create and maintain humidity in it. It comes with the little black plastic puck that turns. In the pictures I figured this is where you'd put beads but I now realize there's no way to open it. I'd like to use this until I can get some beads or a humipuck.


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## Kenpokrazi (Jul 15, 2006)

Does the little black puch have a sponge type material in it? They are the standard humidification device with most humidors. I have one in my little desktop and it works fine. You just have to "charge" it with humidification solution which I usually pick up at my local B&M. Make sure you "season" the humidor before putting in sticks or else you will have a VERY fustrating time on your hands (as I didn't find this out until later). A yahoo search or even a forum search might have detailed directions or even a link to more detailed directions.

Hope I was able to help if even a little. Enjoy the new humidor and be careful that is like playing with fire my friend.


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## n2advnture (Aug 9, 2004)

If you need the Puck now, I can put one together for you in the "old" packaging.

Start seasoning your humidor now by placing a bowl of distilled water in it and let it sit for at least 10 days.

Shoot me a pm if you need the Puck.

Hope this helps.
~Mark


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## Golfman (Jul 13, 2006)

yea if its got sponge material in it its a humidification device in which you soak it in distilled water...I have a small humi and thats what came in it. Also dont forget to buy a digital hygrometer as the analogs are usually innacurate


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## Dogwatch Dale-cl (Sep 7, 2005)

Get the Puck from Mark! Far superior to the "oasis" type foam material in your original unit and way less hassles in the long term.


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## cigar_040 (Mar 10, 2006)

As said above, get a digital hygrometer and use something other than the foam.

Plan on getting a Puck myself hopefully in a week or two. Gonna put it in the 20ct. humidor....(the one that lasted maybe a week)

Go ahead and make plans on upgrading to something bigger. The guys around here are very persuading when it comes to suggestions about smokes. You'll want to try'em all.

Good luck in you endeavor !!


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## Hammerhead (Sep 7, 2005)

Ditto beads and digital hygro. Though you can 'convert' the puck you have now to beads. It probably has a couple tabs that are holding the lid on, but beads are definitely the way to go.


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## Baric (Jun 14, 2006)

My 20$ humidor's puck came with one of those in it. youre meant to drip PG solution ordistilled water in thru the grate-it really doesnt work that well tbh.


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## Fireman_UK (Mar 14, 2006)

Baric said:


> My 20$ humidor's puck came with one of those in it. youre meant to drip PG solution ordistilled water in thru the grate-it really doesnt work that well tbh.


Yeah, I ended up making my own. I have a piece of florists foam soaked in humidification solution, inside a small tupperware with holes drilled in the lid. Much easier to top up as you just take uf the lid.


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

n2advnture said:


> If you need the Puck now, I can put one together for you in the "old" packaging.
> 
> Start seasoning your humidor now by placing a bowl of distilled water in it and let it sit for at least 10 days.
> 
> ...


How much are those pucks Mark? It doesn't look like it takes much to maintain a humidor with one of those in it, exactly what i'm looking for.


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## Poriggity (Dec 8, 2005)

I second and third all the advice to go with the puck.. Best thing Ive ever done for my humidor.
Scott


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## raisin (Dec 3, 2005)

Dogwatch Dale said:


> Get the Puck from Mark! Far superior to the "oasis" type foam material in your original unit and way less hassles in the long term.


:tpd: Great product, worth every penny!


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

take a knife or other object that will fit through the slats of the puck, push on it till it pops open, take out foam, fill with beads


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## EPICSMOKEHERE (Jul 27, 2006)

i just got the tube from hearfelt. It's the size of one cigar and filled with beads. Another option worth checking out.


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## papajohn67 (May 25, 2006)

EPICSMOKEHERE said:


> i just got the tube from hearfelt. It's the size of one cigar and filled with beads. Another option worth checking out.


Have to agree..bought the 2oz tube from Viper and but in my 50 count humi and it works great.


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok, I just took the insides out of the puck I have. So if I go down to my local B&M and purchase enough beads to fill it and put it in the humidor it'll maintain the proper humidity? Should I still "condition" the humidor with a bowl of distilled water? Where's the cheapest place to get a decent digital hydrometer?


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/Beads.htm for the beads.


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

I can't believe none of the B&M's near me sell beads. Two of the shops never even heard of them. How do beads work? Do I have to add water to them or do they just work as is?


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## EPICSMOKEHERE (Jul 27, 2006)

Joey Link said:


> I can't believe none of the B&M's near me sell beads. Two of the shops never even heard of them. How do beads work? Do I have to add water to them or do they just work as is?


check this out dude.

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=9483


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

Joey Link said:


> Ok, I just took the insides out of the puck I have. So if I go down to my local B&M and purchase enough beads to fill it and put it in the humidor it'll maintain the proper humidity? Should I still "condition" the humidor with a bowl of distilled water? Where's the cheapest place to get a decent digital hydrometer?


Wal-Mart has them for about seven bucks. They ain't pretty, but they're cheap.


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

burninator said:


> Wal-Mart has them for about seven bucks. They ain't pretty, but they're cheap.


Any idea how large they are? I'm really debating whether to wait until I can invest in good equipment or buy cheap and now. The humipouches seem to be working well for now but I wanna get some smokes into my desktop humi. These guys at the cigar shop are telling me to just soak the cheap humidifier in distilled water every three weeks and it'll be perfectly fine for a 20ct humidor.

How much is a good, accurate, compact hygrometer?


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## LT Rich (Sep 7, 2005)

I think you are supposed to throw that little "puck" that came with it in the trash and buy beads.

I use beads in my humis and my coolador and i have never opened them without the humidity being right at the desired level (65% or 70% depending on the storage type). They really are the best way to keep humidity. Nothing is as easy or reliable short of an electric unit. All you have to do is add distilled water once the beads start turning white. They even kept the humidity constant in Afghanistan, the driest place i have ever been.

Worth the few bucks they cost.

LT :gn


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

Ok so I went ahead and ordered this:

http://heartfeltindustries.com/stor...id=44&osCsid=77fabd9310a66f8c45559e59a44d9e10

From what I've heard beads are pretty simple to maintain with a bit of distilled water, correct?

I'm really not sure what my next step is going to be. I want a humidor that can store alot of cigars so I can start buying boxes but I want to be able to present them nicely. Unfortunately I'm having a hard time finding a nice 300-500 ct humidor in my price range that would allow me to show off my collection in style. I'm considering the Vicksburg cause I've heard so many good things about it but it's so boring.

I also need to find a nice digital hygrometer for both the small humidor and the larger one I plan on purchasing. I've heard about the nice wireless ones that have the base station which can monitor multiple sensors (for multiple humidors) but haven't been able to find much about them searching on here or googling.

I'm also trying to decide what to do for controlling the humidity in the larger humidor. Cigar Oasis' look very nice but I wasn't aware you had to purchase "refills", I thought you just filled it with more distilled water when it was low. Maybe I'll stick with beads with that as well.

How often do you have to check on beads in a humidor?


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## LT Rich (Sep 7, 2005)

How often you need to check the beads depends on where you live (ambient humidity) and how often you open the humi, oh and along with that how air tight your humi is. I live in FL and Open my humi daily to get a stick out, but i only fill the beads about once every 3 or 4 weeks.

LT :gn


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## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

Joey Link said:


> Any idea how large they are? I'm really debating whether to wait until I can invest in good equipment or buy cheap and now. The humipouches seem to be working well for now but I wanna get some smokes into my desktop humi. These guys at the cigar shop are telling me to just soak the cheap humidifier in distilled water every three weeks and it'll be perfectly fine for a 20ct humidor.
> 
> How much is a good, accurate, compact hygrometer?


IIRC they're about 3 or 4 inches across and 3/4 of an inch thick. I'm thinking about going and picking one up for myself in the morning.


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## BeerDefender (Jun 30, 2006)

LT Rich said:


> How often you need to check the beads depends on where you live (ambient humidity) and how often you open the humi, oh and along with that how air tight your humi is. I live in FL and Open my humi daily to get a stick out, but i only fill the beads about once every 3 or 4 weeks.
> 
> LT :gn


I should be better off then, I live in Oregon and I won't be opening it too often (unfortunately).


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